At What Extent of Wheel Rim Damage Should It Be Replaced?

[SanParker]

Here is the relevant information about when to replace a wheel rim: 1. A piece is missing from the outermost edge of the wheel rim: This may affect the airtightness. Even if there is no immediate air leakage, the strength to maintain airtightness is insufficient, which could lead to a tire blowout under extreme conditions. Car tires do not have inner tubes, only outer tires. After inflating the tire, the tire expands outward, and the edge just fits into the rim edge, relying on the tight fit between the tire and the rim to maintain airtightness. 2. The edge of the wheel rim is not chipped but deformed: Regardless of how the wheel rim is damaged, whether it needs to be replaced depends on the location of the damage. If the edge is damaged, it must be replaced; if the edge is not damaged, it does not need to be replaced. A wheel rim is not cheap and is significantly more expensive than a tire, so it should be repaired if possible and replaced if it cannot be repaired. 3. The wheel rim is subjected to significant external force, causing deformation: Minor deformations are not visible to the naked eye and can only be detected through dynamic balancing. When the wheel rotates on the balancing machine, if it wobbles severely from side to side, and the balancing values show a significant deviation from the standard, sometimes differing by more than 100 grams or even 200 grams, this is caused by wheel deformation. Adding balancing weights usually cannot achieve balance, so it is best to replace the rim. Although minor wheel rim deformation will not cause a blowout, it can lead to severe steering wheel vibration at high speeds, which is dangerous and provides a poor driving experience.